Memorandum on Continuing To Expand Opportunity for All Young People
Issued 2017-01-13 by Barack Obama
Plain-English Overview
AI-generated summary explaining what this action does, who it affects, and why it matters
This memorandum updates an earlier presidential initiative from 2014 that was originally called "My Brother's Keeper." The action renames it the "Task Force on Improving the Lives of Boys and Young Men of Color and Underserved Youth" and expands its membership to include a broader range of cabinet secretaries and agency heads—23 different departments and offices in total, including the Departments of Education, Labor, Agriculture, and many others. The memorandum also adds new reporting requirements, directing the task force to provide status reports to the President at least once a year and to review its recommendations every two years.
The task force affects how the federal government coordinates efforts related to young people, particularly boys and young men of color and underserved youth. The various agencies involved are directed to work together on these issues, though the specific programs or actions are determined by the task force itself. The Department of Education maintains certain data and coordinates with the Office of Management and Budget on implementation.
This matters because it represents a coordinating mechanism across the executive branch for addressing youth opportunity. By bringing together nearly two dozen agencies under one task force, the memorandum creates a government-wide framework for these efforts. The expansion from the original 2014 version broadens both who serves on the task force and explicitly includes "underserved youth" in addition to the original focus population.
AI-generated summary for educational purposes
Constitutional Analysis
How this action fits (or doesn't) within Article II authority and existing law
This presidential memorandum ("Memorandum on Continuing To Expand Opportunity for All Young People") provides direction to executive branch agencies. Presidential memoranda function similarly to executive orders but are typically more narrow in scope, addressing specific agencies or implementation details. The President's authority to direct executive branch operations is grounded in Article II of the Constitution.
Memoranda are a routine administrative tool. They guide agencies on priorities, interpretation of statutes, and implementation procedures. As long as they operate within the bounds of existing law and respect congressional mandates, they are a standard exercise of presidential power that every modern administration has used.
Official Summary
Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Memorandum on Continuing To Expand Opportunity for All Young People January 13, 2017 Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies Subject: Continuing to Expand Opportunity for All Young People By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following: Section 1 . The Presidential Memorandum issued on February 27, 2014 (Creating and Expanding Ladders of Opportunity for Boys and Young Men of Color), is amended: (a) in the preamble, by striking the phrase "My Brother's Keeper initiative" and replacing it with "Task Force on Improving the Lives of Boys and Young Men of Color and Underserved Youth"; (b) in the preamble, by striking the phrase "The initiative" and replacing it with "The Task Force"; (c) in section 1, by striking the phrase "My Brother's Keeper Task Force" throughout and replacing it with "Task Force on Improving the Lives of Boys and Young Men of Color and Underserved Youth"; (d) in section 1(a), by striking everything that follows "In addition to the Chair, the Task Force shall consist of th